How to Save a Life
by Doctor Addison Montgomery
Summary: KateTony. What if Kate didn't die on the rooftop in Twilight. What if it was someone else who died instead? Will Kate and Tony confess how they feel before it's too late? Warning: character death. [Tate angst] Please review! Xx


_**How to Save a Life**_

**Summary: Kate/Tony. What if it wasn't Kate who was killed on the rooftop but someone else instead? Will Kate and Tony be able to confess how they really feel or is it already too late? Warning:character death. Tate angst.  
Lyrics are from How to Save a Life by The Fray  
Please review! And forgive me! Xx**

_Step one you say we need to talk_

_He walks_

_You say sit down it's just a talk_

_Smiles politely back at you_

_You stare politely right on through._

Moments slowed to a stop. Time seemed to stand still. Even the wind seemed to cease. Silence reigned, punctured only by the sharp crack of gunfire. Caitlin Todd was knocked to the ground, the oppressing quiet broken as her body hit the roof with a thud. Jethro Gibbs and Tony DiNozzo sank to their knees, concern for their colleague etched on both of their faces. Kate managed to sit up, her face drained of colour but a thin smile on determination remained.

"Thank God for bullet-proof vests." She said, with a half smile at Tony.

"Does exactly what it says on the tin." He added.

Kate smiled, however juvenile the comment, Tony always seemed to know how to make her smile in a serious situation. He offered her his hand, helping her to his feet.

"Thank God you're okay, Kate." He said, wrapping an arm around her waist as he helped her to stand.

Kate smiled. "Thanks Tony."

_Some sort of window to you're right_

_As he goes left_

_And you stay right_

_Between the lines, of fear and blame_

_You begin to wonder why you came_

The stakeout continued, McGee radioing up from his position from time to time. For a while things went smoothly, until Tony turned to Kate.

"You're bleeding!" He exclaimed.

"I'm what?" Kate replied, looking down she saw a red stain on her vest, and it was spreading. "Part of the casing must have made contact with my skin." She said. As she looked down at the blood pouring from the wound on her chest she felt faint.

"Tony?" She called out weakly and he turned to look at her properly. His face contorted with concern.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked back. Feeling a sense of panic overwhelm him as Kate stood, injured, before him.

Kate shook her head. "I think it's got worse."

"Come on." Tony said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders tightly with his gun still poised in his other hand. "Kate's hurt!" He shouted to Gibbs. "I'm taking her down."

Tony hated leaving his boss alone on the rooftop but Gibbs had been a marine sniper, he could look after himself. It was Kate who needed him now.

_Where did I go wrong?_

_I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life._

Tony helped Kate around the corner of the warehouse to where a paramedic van was waiting. He released her from his grip and let the doctors do their job. He waited for while, needing to know that Kate was going to be okay before he rejoined Gibbs on the rooftop.

"Will she be alright?" He asked a pretty redheaded doctor, he might have been attracted to her had he not been focusing solely on Kate.

The paramedic nodded. "We stopped the flow just in time, it could have been serious but Caitlin's out of the woods now. We'll take her to Bethesda for observation though."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here." Kate said from the back of the ambulance. "I'm not going anywhere until you get the bastard and I know that you, Gibbs and McGee are safe."

"Kate," Tony began warningly but he knew better than to argue with her. He had learned his lesson long ago.

_Let him know that you know best_

'_Cause after all you do know best_

_Trying to slip past his defence_

_Without granting innocence_

_Lay down a list of what is wrong_

_The things you've told him all along_

_And pray to God he hears you._

Kate could feel her fingers itching as she waited in the back of the ambulance, holding a Thermos of sweet tea in her hands. She desperately wanted to be up on the rooftop with her colleagues not down here. She knew it was too risky though and that she would only be a burden on them in her current state.

She heard a gunshot and sat bolt upright, adrenaline kicking in already. At her side she heard her radio crackle to life and she jumped. The sugar only making her heart beat faster.

"Agent Todd." She answered immediately.

"Kate, it's Gibbs. Tony's been shot, badly."

The concern in Gibbs' words was enough for Kate's heart to miss a beat.

_Where did I go wrong?_

_I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

Kate rode with Tony in the ambulance on the way to Bethesda Naval Hospital. Her stomach doing backward flips as the vehicle sped towards the hospital. She clutched his hand tightly in her's, whispering reassuring nothings to him as the paramedics wired up machinery. She couldn't believe how much things had turned around and couldn't help but feel that it should have been her who had received the fatal shot.

When they finally pulled up outside the hospital Kate and Tony were forced to go their separate. Tony was wheeled off to the intensive care unit while Kate had to check in with a nurse. She was impatient to get away and as soon as the nurse had changed the dressing on Kate's wound she headed for the intensive care unit.

"How is he doing?" He asked a tall Asian doctor.

"He's stable for now, tonight will be crucial for him though."

Kate nodded. Grateful that the doctor was being straight with her even if the truth hurt her.

"Can I see him?"

The doctor nodded. "He needs his rest though." He added as Kate entered Tony's ward. The sight of him lying out on the hospital bed made her heartache and she suddenly knew she couldn't lie to him any longer.

_As he begins to raise his voice_

_You lower yours and grant him one last choice_

_Drive until you lose the road_

_Or break with the ones you've followed_

_He will do one to two things_

_He will admit to everything_

_Or he'll say he's just not the same_

_And you'll begin to wonder why you came._

"Hey Tony." She said, sitting down beside his bed and taking his hand.

"Hey Katie." He replied, letting her know that it was still him; same old Tony.

She smiled a little but she could feel her eyes flooding with tears.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered.

Tony released her hand and reached out to caress her cheek instead.

"Hey, what have you got to be sorry for?" He replied.

Kate blinked back her tears angrily. "It should have been me, I should have been the one who got the fatal shot, not you Tony."

Tony look at her seriously. "Don't say that Kate, it's not true. Don't you dare blame yourself."

Kate nodded. "Okay." Silent tears were slowly sliding down her cheeks now. Tony brushed them away for her.

Kate knew that if she didn't say what she had to say now she never would. Also, she knew deep down that she might never get the chance to again.

"Tony, I have to tell you something…" She began.

Tony waited for her to continue, continuing to stroke her cheek with his thumb.

"I'm in love with you, Tony." She finally blurted out, her tears drying a little as she waited for his reaction.

He smiled, running his thumb over her lips now. He wanted to kiss her so badly.

"I'm in love with you too, Kate. I've been waiting so long to here you say that." He admitted.

Kate leaned over, pressing a soft kiss on his lips. A nurse arrived at Tony's bedside, signally that it was time for Kate to leave.

"I'll come back, Tony, I won't leave you."

Tony smiled. "I know."

As Kate left the ward she heard the telltale beeping of the life support machine.

"_Time of death: 16:07"_  
She heard as she left the ward, making it out into the corridor before she sunk to ground, lost in a flood of tears. Why hadn't she told him sooner?

_Where did I go wrong?_

_I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

_How to save a life._


End file.
